


Hot Time, Summer in the City

by monkeyonthelam



Category: White Collar
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-17
Updated: 2012-06-17
Packaged: 2017-11-08 00:09:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/436942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeyonthelam/pseuds/monkeyonthelam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For whitecollarhc's Comfest Prompt: "Peter and Neal fight over who gets to paint Elizabeth's toenails."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hot Time, Summer in the City

A heat wave was currently overpowering New York City. The sidewalks that usually featured high volumes of foot traffic were reduced to a trickle as the poor souls who had no choice but to brave the heat to get to their (hopefully air-conditioned) destination. The only other people outside were young children in their bathing suits playing in the water from the fire hydrant which the fire department opened up to relieve the heat. The meteorologist on the TV suggested that, if possible, people should stay indoors unless of an emergency because there was a heat stroke warning in effect. So that's what Peter, Elizabeth, Neal and Satchmo (poor sweaty, panting Satchmo) were doing and they were bored out of their minds. They couldn’t even sit too close together because every time they tried to sit closer than an arm's length away, the extra heat from another person's body made any type of cuddling sadly unpleasant, even though the air conditioner was trying its very best.  
  
"Still," Elizabeth thought to herself, "I have both of my boys together, safe under one roof. We need to do something together. Maybe we should paint each other's toenails." In the next moment, Peter and Neal turned their heads to face her and she realized that she might have just said that last sentence out loud.  
  
"Well, that certainly is an idea. Although, there’s no way I am letting Peter near my toes. This is something that needs a light touch, " Neal responded.  
  
"He might surprise you, he's done a great job for me in the past," Elizabeth said.  
  
"Really?" Neal said, shock apparent in his voice.  
  
"Give me a little credit. I might not be all suave and sophisticated like you, but for the right person, I'll put in the extra effort," Peter stated, smile on his lips.  
  
"While you two talk this out, I am going to see what colors of nail polish I have and bring them down," Elizabeth said as she walked out of the room. When she came back she was holding a shoe box full of bottles. She put them down on the table so that everyone could see.  
  
Peter picked up a bottle of bright blue polish. "This one is called _Blue My Mind_. I think this one is a good one for Neal because it matches his pretty blue eyes."  
  
Neal puckered his lips in Peter's direction and then said, "Aww, you flatter me, baby."  
  
Elizabeth chose a purple one. "I'm saving this one for Peter. It's called _Do You Lilac It_ ," she read.  
  
Neal was the last one to choose a color and decided to go with bright pink for Elizabeth. " _That's Berry Daring_ ," Neal read out, then asked, "Who's going to paint whose nails?"  
  
"I think,' Elizabeth started, "that you should let Peter do your nails, Neal and that you can do mine."  
  
Peter looked at his wife and replied, "That means you get to do mine."  
  
After that was decided they found their positions on the floor. Elizabeth leaned her back against the the couch and raised her knees so her feet were flat on the floor. Neal uncapped _That's Berry Daring_ as Peter looked on. It was a nice relaxing exercise. Even though the physical contact was minimal, painting her nails felt intimate because all of Neal's attention was centered on Elizabeth and her ten little toenails. Neal moved quickly, but steadily and soon he was finished. After he was finished, he gave Elizabeth a quick peck on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you sweetie. They look beautiful," Elizabeth said as she looked at her newly painted nails.  
  
Elizabeth wiggled her toes while Peter opened _Blue My Mind_. Neal sat just like Elizabeth did with his feet flat on the floor and facing Peter.  
  
"You nervous?" Peter asked.  
  
"Not at all. I have complete confidence in you," Neal said honestly as he looked into Peter's eyes.  
  
Peter didn't work as fast as Neal did, but he was just as careful. He took his time with each nail, making sure the small brush touched only the nail and not Neal's skin. If Neal was quiet, he could hear Peter humming some distant tune as he went from one toe to the next. Wordlessly, he turned his head towards Elizabeth to see if she heard it too. Elizabeth met his eyes and smiled at him, signaling that she had. It wasn't too much longer until Peter finished and took a second to look at his handiwork.  
  
"What do you think?" Peter asked.  
  
"I think you need to kiss me right now," Neal answered.  
  
Peter carefully backed up from Neal's toes and moved closer to his face so that he could give his lover a short but sweet kiss.  
  
Elizabeth slowly spread her legs wide so that Peter could sit between them and get close to her without disturbing her still drying toes. Peter offered his feet too his wife as Neal handed her the bottle of _Do You Lilac it_.  
  
Neal watched Elizabeth paint Peter's toe nails purple. She had only finished one of Peter's big toes, but the color was beautiful. Elizabeth had a nice eye for color and Neal was sure that she felt as excited as he was to see Peter with purple nails. After she was finished, Neal and Peter slowly shuffled to sit with their backs to the couch near Elizabeth so that they could put their outstretched legs next to each other. All three of them looked at the thirty freshly painted bright colored toenails in front of them.  
  
"That was fun," Neal said softly, breaking the silence.  
  
"Yes, it certainly was," Peter agreed as Neal and Elizabeth rested their heads on either sides of his shoulders. The heat was now receding as afternoon turned to evening. Tomorrow would be a different day, high temperatures or no, but they had each other and that's what mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from The Lovin' Spoonful's song, "Summer in the City"


End file.
